Scores dead as magnitude 7.1 tremor hits Tibet

At least 53 people were killed and 62 injured in a massive earthquake that struck the mountainous region of Tibet on Tuesday morning, Chinese media reported.

The earthquake that struck the holy city of Shigatse in Tibet at around 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) had a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometers (six kilometers), according to a report from the US Geological Survey. , which also showed the series. of earthquakes that have occurred in the area.

Tremors were also felt in neighboring Nepal and parts of India.

Earthquakes are common in the area, which is located on a major geological fault line.

Shigatse is considered one of the holiest cities in Tibet. It is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.

The Tingri region, near the site of the earthquake, is a popular destination for mountaineers preparing to climb Mount Everest.

Mount Everest tours in Tingri, which were scheduled to take place on Tuesday morning, have been cancelled, tourism officials told local media, adding that the viewing area will be completely closed.

There were three visitors at the observation deck who were all moved to an outside area for safety, he said.

Chinese media reported that the quake had a slightly lower magnitude of 6.8, causing “visible” tremors and destroying more than 1,000 houses. There have been several strong earthquakes.

Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Networks Center, told CCTV, a Chinese television station, that while another earthquake around magnitude 5 could still occur, “the chance of a major earthquake is low”.

Since China’s occupation of Tibet in the 1950s, it has controlled the autonomous region, including media and the Internet.

Social media posts from the quake-hit area on Tuesday showed collapsed buildings.

A hotel resident in Shigatse told China’s Fengmian News that he woke up with a strong shaking. He said he grabbed his socks and ran down the street, when he saw helicopters circling overhead.

“It felt like even the bed was being lifted,” he said, adding that he immediately knew it was an earthquake because there had been several small earthquakes in Tibet recently.

The Chinese military has started a rescue operation with drones in the affected area, which is located at the foot of Mount Everest and where the temperature is very cold.

All power and water in the area are out.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has also called for an all-out search and rescue effort to minimize casualties and resettle those affected.

While the tremors were felt in Nepal, no damage or injuries were reported, an official in the Namche region of Nepal, near Everest, told AFP.

Area, which is nearby The main fault line of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is frequently affected by earthquakes. In 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring more than 20,000.